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Brother's Keeper
"Brother's Keeper" is the pilot episode of Miami Vice and the first episode of the first season. The episode (and series) premiered on September 16, 1984, and was rerun on January 25, 1985, July 26, 1985, and as part of a special broadcast (for the release of the Miami Vice film on July 22, 2006. Summary A NYPD Armed Robbery "street cop" and a Miami Vice Detective team up to catch a murderous drug dealer named Calderone. Plot Part I (Syndicated) NYPD Officer Ricardo Tubbs is on a stakeout for a Colombian drug dealer. After scaring off some would-be muggers he follows the dealer into a bar, where he pays a waiter to spill his drinks and force him into the men's room. Tubbs moves to confront the dealer, only to be thwarted by two of the dealer's goons, who fight with Tubbs (one of which Tubbs shoots down) long enough for the dealer to escape out the back door. In Miami, Vice Detective James "Sonny" Crockett is waiting with his partner, Eddie Rivera, for a meet with Corky, a minor dealer with Colombian connections. Eddie is concerned about his pregnant wife Maria and how he doesn't want her working in a restaurant to support their family. They meet up with Corky, who has severed his ties with the Colombian and started his own business, which the Vice cops are concerned about. They stop under a highway to review the product. Crockett drops his sunglasses getting out of the car; as he picks them up, he notices a bomb on the underside of Corky's car, but just as he calls out it explodes, killing Corky and Eddie. As the police cordon off the scene Crockett briefs the Commander of the Organized Crime Bureau, Lt. Lou Rodriguez, convinced the mysterious Colombian dealer is behind the deaths. When he voices his suspicion of a departmental leak Rodriguez is angered and threatens to pull Crockett off the streets unless he does things by the book from now on. Crockett then visits the restaurant where Maria works to tell her about Eddie, and she breaks down in agonized tears. Due to all this, he's late for his son Billy's birthday party, where his friend Scottie Wheeler (Bill Smitrovich), a DEA agent, and his soon to be ex-wife Caroline (Belinda Montgomery) are waiting. Crockett and Caroline discuss his career and how incompatible it is with their marriage. Later, Caroline goes to check in on Billy; when she finds Billy asleep in Crockett's arms, she quietly shuts the door. Crockett catches Leon Mohammad (Mykel T. Williamson) and demands to see the Columbian to settle the score after the deaths of Corky and Eddie. Leon refuses, but agrees to reset the original deal. Meanwhile, Tubbs (who has arrived in Miami from New York and using the cover name "Teddy Prentiss") is in a club trying to set up a deal with Wheeler (posing as a dealer) to see Calderone (who is the dealer from New York), and Tubbs leaves him a phone number, at which he gets a call for a meet that night. Crockett and Leon boat out to meet for the deal, where they meet Wheeler and Tubbs. Before the deal goes down the police show up and Leon and Tubbs flee; Leon is caught, but Tubbs takes off in Crockett's cigarette boat. Crockett pursues in his car and eventually catches Tubbs, jumping into the boat from a bridge. Crockett identifies himself as Miami Vice; Tubbs identifies himself as NYPD. Later, Rodriguez says Tubbs (under the name of ''Rafael'' Tubbs) is in Miami on NYPD priority clearance looking for a Columbian drug dealer named Calderone, who has killed two NYPD policemen. As it turns out, the same dealer is responsible for several drug-related murders in Miami. Rodriguez suggests they work together, as they are after the same person. Tubbs goes to Crockett's boat, the St. Vitus Dance, bringing a copy of his surveillance photo, and is introduced to Crockett's "watch-gator", Elvis, former mascot for the Florida Gators college football team. Crockett leaves to join Wheeler downtown in court for Leon's bond hearing; he is released on his own recognizance for his "cooperation" with the District Attorney--a ruse designed to make Leon beg for protective custody, knowing that Calderone will kill him for cooperating with anyone in law enforcement. Leon calls OCB and Rodriguez has Crockett meet him at the beach. Tubbs has tailed Leon on his own; however, a cross-dressing hitman kills Leon before they can speak to him. Crockett and Tubbs agree to a "temporary" working arrangement. Part II (Syndicated) Crockett and Tubbs go to Leon's apartment (using a tire warranty as a fake search warrant) and find the place ransacked; Tubbs locates an address book with phone numbers, which they take to OCB to do backtraces. Tubbs said Leon changed cabs several times without any tails but his, meaning the leak in the department told the hitman where Leon was. Crockett asks Gina to do a check on Tubbs to see what comes up. Since Tubbs has all the money from the blown deal, Calderone's lieutenant, Trini DeSoto (Martin Ferrero), calls to set up a meet with him and Crockett in a nightclub later that night. At the nightclub, Crockett and Tubbs enjoy a night of partying with Gina and Trudy, during which time DeSoto shows up and introduces Tubbs to Calderone (Miguel Piñero). Tubbs reluctantly shakes his hand, then leaves with Trudy. Gina tells Crockett that Rafael Tubbs was killed in the shootout with Calderone three weeks earlier in New York. On the St. Vitus Dance, ''Crockett is upset about Tubbs' deception, but Gina settles him down, and the couple enjoy a night of passion. The next morning, Crockett wakes up to find Gina gone, then Tubbs arrives on the boat, whereupon Crockett pulls him down into the cabin, confronts him with the information about Rafael, and threatens to "light up his whole intestinal tract" with a flare gun if Tubbs doesn't tell him who he really is. Tubbs finally reveals he is ''Ricardo Tubbs, and he is in Miami (using forged NYPD documents) to avenge his brother Rafael's murder by Calderone and his men. DeSoto calls and sets up the meet for later that night. Crockett has OCB complete the back-trace on the numbers in Leon's address book ASAP, for his eyes only, and plan the bust. Gina gives Crockett the cold shoulder and he finds (after chasing Gina into the ladies' room) that he mentioned Caroline's name in bed. Crockett leaves her a rose later as an apology. Meanwhile Tubbs gets a call from DeSoto moving the meet up to during the day, and he goes to the meet place in an alley. Crockett gets the back-trace results and finds his former partner, Wheeler, is the leak, as his number appeared in Leon's book. Crockett races to the alley where Tubbs is meeting DeSoto, and just as DeSoto (in drag) pulls his gun to kill Tubbs, Crockett and the Metro-Dade police show up, they distract DeSoto long enough for Tubbs to shoot him dead. Crockett heads to Wheeler's house to confront him with the evidence, after which Wheeler admits he received $70,000 from Calderone three months ago, with "compliments", and took the money to help catch up his mortgage and pay for his handicapped son's mounting medical expenses. Then DeSoto started pressing him for information, which he provided, undermining Crockett's investigation. Crockett is infuriated that Wheeler betrayed his trust and caused Eddie's death, and Tubbs has to pull Crockett away when he tries to strangle his friend and former partner. Crockett and Tubbs drive to the meet with Calderone. Before arriving Crockett calls Caroline, just to ask if what they had was real. Caroline tells him they did. At the meet Calderone's men shoot it out with the Vice cops. Tubbs is hit while all of Calderone's men are killed. After nearly escaping during the fight, Calderone finds himself staring down Tubbs' double barreled shotgun. Tubbs - though sorely tempted, with Calderone egging him on - refrains from shooting Calderone, and they take him to jail. Before transferring him to a different prison, a judge (that Calderone bought) springs him and he flees in his seaplane, with Crockett and Tubbs arriving only in time to watch him fly away. Tubbs decides to pursue a career in "Southern law enforcement" and remain in Miami. Cast *Don Johnson as Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett *Philip Michael Thomas as NYPD Officer Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs *Saundra Santiago as Metro-Dade Detective Gina Calabrese *Michael Talbott as Metro-Dade Detective Stan Switek *John Diehl as Metro-Dade Detective Larry Zito *Gregory Sierra as Metro-Dade Lieutenant Lou Rodriguez Guest Stars *Bill Smitrovich as DEA Lieutenant Scottie Wheeler *Belinda Montgomery as Caroline Crockett *Martin Ferrero as Trini DeSoto *Mykel T. Williamson as Leon Mohammad *Olivia Brown as Metro-Dade Detective Trudy Joplin *Miguel Piñero as Esteban Calderone Co-Starring *Jimmy Smits as Eddie Rivera *Michael Santoro as Corky Fowler *Jossie DeGuzman as Maria Rivera *Harold Bergman as Judge Sumner D. Rupp *Darcy Shean as Donna Wheeler *Brian C. Smith as D.A. Gordon Avery *Julian Byrd as Captain Rodney *Bud Hoey as Manager *Ryan St. Leon as Billy Crockett Episode Notes * The episode's original title was simply "Miami Vice", and didn't get its "Brother's Keeper" title until it went into syndication. The episode was released on home video as Miami Vice: The Movie in 1985. * This episode aired on Sunday night before moving to its normal Friday night at 10pm time slot for "Heart of Darkness". The series finale "Freefall" also aired on Sunday night. * When aired in syndication, "Brother's Keeper" is aired as two parts instead of a single two hour episode. * The title cards for Part I and II are in a different font style and size than the typical episode titles would be presented during the series proper. * The version of the "Miami Vice Theme" used in the opening credits was incorrectly mixed and is missing the distinctive synthesised guitar hook. The problem occurs in every episode up to "Calderone's Return (Part I)". Curiously, this was not corrected on recent DVD releases of the show, despite being acknowledged as an error by producers. * The scene where Crockett and Tubbs drive to meet Calderone through the Miami night to the music of In The Air Tonight is often listed as one of television's best moments. * The scene where the team plans the bust together is seen frequently through the early episodes, but is phased out as the season progressed. * When presenting the transfer order to the guard at the suburban jail, Crockett refers to Calderone as "Orlando Calderone." This was changed to Esteban Calderone in subsequent episodes, though the name was used for his son (played by John Leguizamo in "Sons and Lovers" and "The Afternoon Plane"). * Crockett uses his car phone for the first time, a novelty in 1984. * The Carlyle Hotel Condo (which Crockett and Rivera are standing in front of at the episode's beginning) still exists, and was featured in the movies Scarface, Bad Boys, and The Birdcage. Other Notes * Martin Ferrero would appear several times throughout the series as Izzy Moreno, Crockett and Tubbs' informant. * Olivia Brown was listed as a guest star in the pilot, though in the series her name will appear between John Diehl and Gregory Sierra/Edward James Olmos' names in the opening credits. * The PlayStation 2 game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, amongst its many references to Miami Vice, features two gangs dressed as extras from the scene in which Tubbs arrives in Miami (see image above) - the Cubans wear the white-and-red t-shirt of the man on the left, whilst the Haitians wear the purple vest and blue jeans of the man on the right. * Crockett's gun in this episode is a Browning BDA in .45 ACP. The BDA was actually a SIG Sauer P220 that was branded as the BDA by Browning, who were responsible for importing it into the United States. Once the show was picked up Crockett's weapon was changed to a Dornaus & Dixon Bren Ten in 10mm Auto, which it would remain for the first two seasons. Various reasons for the change are cited, including the silver finish of the Bren Ten showing up better during night filming, or Michael Mann's preference for the Bren Ten's "flashier" styling, better suited to a drug dealer. * New York would reappear again in "The Prodigal Son" (when Crockett and Tubbs go there to solve the Revilla case) and "Better Living Through Chemistry" (when Tubbs went there to help clear Clarence Batisse's name). Music *"Miss You" by Rolling Stones (opening during Tubbs' stakeout) *"Body Talk" by The Deele (in bar where Tubbs and Calderone are) *"Miami Vice Theme" by Jan Hammer (opening and closing credits, during Crockett/Tubbs chase) *"Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell (Tubbs in strip club) *"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper (Leon at beach) *"Only In Miami" by Bette Midler (performed by house band in nightclub) *"All Night Long (All Night)" by Lionel Richie (performed by house band in nightclub) *"In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins (Crockett and Tubbs driving to meet with Calderone) Quotes *"5000 street corners in greater Miami, and Gumby here has to pick ours!" -- Crockett *"And as for progress reports, I'd just as soon buy radio time!"-- Crockett to Rodriguez after Eddie died in car explosion *"The last time I requested back up I nearly got shot to death by Bluto and Lee Harvey Oswald over there!" -- Crockett referring to Switek and Zito *"Three months on this case and guess what, three of the people at the deal turn out to be cops!" -- Crockett to Rodriguez *"My badge says Miami, but here lately it's been looking a lot like Disney World!" -- Crockett to Rodriguez *"Tell me, Dubbs, are you down here for some value to the taxpayers, or are you just working on your tan?" -- Crockett to Tubbs *"A glowing testament of our Constitutional right to bear arms!" -- Judge Clarence P. Rupp after the power failure during Leon's hearing when all court personnel drew guns on Leon *"When it gets personal, it gets messy, and when it gets messy, the wrong people get killed, Comprende?" -- Crockett to Tubbs about his purpose (revenge) for being there *"Hey, Tubbs...ever consider a career in Southern law enforcement?" "Maybe, maybe!" -- Crockett and Tubbs at the end of the episode Category:Miami Vice Season 1 Episodes